Criticism in Parliament and Judiciary over Insults to Iran's Negotiation Team

On Wednesday, the head of the judiciary and the deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament criticized the 'insults' directed at Iran's nuclear negotiation team, which has been labeled as 'traitors' by critics, as well as the publication of non-public parliamentary discussions. According to the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, two 'large' gatherings are set to take place on Thursday and Saturday in the cities of Mashhad and Qom, featuring speeches from critics of negotiations with the West. In a televised program on Wednesday evening, Mohammad Reza Bahonar, the deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament, stated, 'The term 'concern' should not be so thick that negotiators are considered traitors.' He added, 'The enemy is cunning, and we all should be concerned, and even Zarif himself is concerned in this sense, but concern that some are trying to sell the country is unjust.' Hours before these remarks, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, called for respectful treatment of ministers by parliament members, particularly in committees, stating, 'Neither representatives should have a contemptuous and insulting view, nor should the government and ministers have a royalist perspective.' Meanwhile, Iranian media reported a 'verbal altercation' between Mehdi Kouchakzadeh, a Tehran representative, and Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, at the end of a non-public session on Sunday, June 3, with footage of the altercation being released. In the video, Zarif protests being labeled a 'traitor' by opposing representatives. Following differing statements from Jawad Karimi Qodosi, a representative from Mashhad, and Abbas Araghchi, a senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team, Hamid Rasai, another Tehran representative, published part of Araghchi's speech from the non-public session. Reports indicate that a previous session on Sunday, April 16, of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee also led to a 'verbal altercation' between Zarif and Qodosi. The head of the judiciary also commented on Wednesday, stating, 'Insulting the negotiation team or publishing non-public parliamentary discussions does not help the negotiation process and lacks justification; we hope that kind recommendations regarding support for negotiations and solidarity in this matter will be accepted.' According to Mehr news agency, Sadegh Amoli Larijani emphasized, 'While the parliament should strive to oversee the red lines of negotiations, we should not weaken the negotiation team, as national interests take precedence over everything.' The statements from the head of the judiciary and the deputy speaker come as a gathering titled 'We Will Not Allow' regarding Iran's nuclear negotiations with the 5+1 group is set to take place in Mashhad on Thursday evening. Among the speakers at this gathering are Mehrdad Bazrpash, a member of the Stability Front in parliament, and Saeed Qasemi, a former commander from the Iran-Iraq war. According to the website 'Dana', the organizers of this gathering have stated that they derived the title 'We Will Not Allow' from the Supreme Leader's remarks about not permitting inspections of military sites and interviews with Iranian nuclear scientists. On Thursday, Ali Mohammad Golestani Far, the governor of Mashhad, announced that permission for this gathering had been granted, despite having stated the night before that no permission had been requested for it. Additionally, a 'massive' gathering of scholars and seminary students in Qom is scheduled for Saturday, June 9, in support of the Supreme Leader's remarks regarding Iran's nuclear negotiations with the 5+1 group. According to reports, Gholamali Haddad Adel, the head of the conservative faction in parliament, will also be among the speakers at this gathering.